Can I Drink Beer on a Low Residue Diet

Keto alcohol – the best and the worst drinks

1. Wine
2. Spirits
3. Beers
4. Top 5
5. Caution
6. Similar guides

What are the best and the worst alcoholic drinks on a keto diet?

First, the obvious: alcohol doesn't help weight loss. The more alcohol you drink, the harder it is to lose weight, since the body tends to burn alcohol before anything else.¹ Drinking alcohol can also make you want to eat more.²

There's a huge difference between different kinds of drinks when it comes to how many carbs they contain. Some are okay, yet others are disasters.

The short version: wine is much lower in carbs than beer, so most people on keto choose wine.

Pure spirits like whiskey and vodka contain zero carbs. Watch out for sweet mixed drinks – they may have massive amounts of sugar.

For more detail, check out the visual guide below. The lower-carb (keto-friendly) options are to the left.

Disclaimer: Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems if consumed in excess. Note that on a keto diet you might need significantly less alcohol to get intoxicated. Women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy.

Wine and beer

The numbers represent grams of carbs in a typical serving – for example, one 5 ounce or 150 mL glass of wine or one 12 ounce draft beer. Note that sweet brands of wine or sparkling wine may contain more carbs, while other types may contain a bit less.³

Carbs list

Wine

Even on a keto diet (below 20 grams per day) you can probably have a glass of wine fairly regularly. And on a moderate low carb diet, wine is not a problem.

Dry wines usually contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per glass.⁴ Fermentation byproducts in wine, like glycerol, should have a minimal effect on blood sugar or insulin levels.⁵ Using 2 grams as an estimate of carbs per glass of dry wine is conservative. Fortunately, all dry wines fit well within a keto diet.⁶

Sweet dessert wines, however, contain a lot more sugar.

Beer

Beer is a problem on keto. There's a reason people talk about "beer bellies." Beer is made from grains, which provide a lot of rapidly digestible carbs. It's even been called "liquid bread."⁷ For this reason, most beers are bad for weight control and should be avoided on keto.

Note that the amount of carbs in beer varies depending on the brand. There are a few possible low-carb options for keto. Check out our keto beer guide below for details.

Spirits

The numbers represent grams of carbs per drink, or the amount you'll get if you order one in a bar.

Carbs list

When it comes to drinks, it's pretty straightforward: pure spirits like whiskey, brandy, cognac, vodka, gin, and tequila contain zero carbs and are all fine on keto.

Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks. Don't add juice, soft drinks, or sweet flavorings to spirits. Adding tonic to zero-carb gin boosts its carb count to 16 grams per serving! Have vodka, soda water and a twist of lime instead for a refreshing carb-free drink.

The worst option of all is to mix alcohol with soda or juice. This is a sugar bomb.

Wine coolers / alcopops

The numbers represent grams of carbs (sugar) per bottle.

So, what about wine coolers or "alcopops"? They're just like regular soda with added alcohol, and should be avoided.

Carbs list

Keto-friendly beers

The numbers above are the grams of carbs in one 12 oz. bottle of beer (355 ml).

Carbs list

Although the carb counts vary among different brands, most are too high for a keto diet. Even on a more liberal low-carb diet it might be wise to keep beer drinking as an occasional thing.

The exception is ultra-lite American beers, which contain very few carbs. So if you like them, you're in luck. Check out the brands to the left in the graphic above.⁸

Top 5 keto alcoholic drinks

On a keto diet, you can still enjoy a delicious drink or two on special occasions. Even though many alcoholic drinks contain a lot of sugar, there are still some great keto options, with little or no sugar or carbs.

Here's our list of the top 5 keto alcoholic drinks:

• • Champagne or sparkling wine (extra dry or brut): one glass contains about 2 grams of net carbs.

• • Dry wine, red or white: one glass contains about 2 grams of net carbs.

• • Vodka, club soda, and lemon or lime: one tall drink contains 0 grams of carbs.

• • Whiskey: one drink contains 0 grams of carbs.

• • Dry martini: one cocktail contains 0 grams of carbs.

Return to the top of the keto alcohol guide

A word of caution

When eating a keto diet, some people get intoxicated from significantly less alcohol.⁹ So be careful the first time you drink alcohol on keto. You may only need half as many drinks as usual to enjoy yourself. So keto may save you money at the bar.

The reasons for this common experience aren't fully known. Possibly the liver is busy producing ketones or glucose, and thus has less capacity to burn alcohol.

This is great if you're looking to maximize alcohol's intoxicating impact. On the other hand, your hangover could be worse.¹⁰

Be very careful doing anything where impairment could increase the risk of accidents or injury. Never drink and drive.

Furthermore, if you're using a keto diet to treat metabolic syndrome and fatty liver disease, be aware that alcohol can have a negative effect on liver health.¹¹ Excessive alcohol acts as a liver toxin.

Here's an in-depth article with more details on the above, and other surprising things about alcohol on a keto diet:

Alcohol and the keto diet: 7 things you need to know

Similar keto guides

More

A ketogenic diet for beginners

Ketogenic diet foods – what to eat and what to avoid

14-day keto diet meal plan with recipes and shopping lists

Can I Drink Beer on a Low Residue Diet

Source: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/alcohol-guide

Share this post